2nd complaint in Pct. 4 race

Howard Roden

Published 6:00 pm, Thursday, February 25, 2010

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Candidate Monte Lane holds a campaign sign as he greets motorists entering the East Montgomery County Annex Friday in New Caney. A Precinct 4 Constable’s officer has filed a complaint against Lane’s wife for allegedly striking him with a campaign sign. less

Candidate Monte Lane holds a campaign sign as he greets motorists entering the East Montgomery County Annex Friday in New Caney. A Precinct 4 Constable’s officer has filed a complaint against Lane’s wife ... more

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2nd complaint in Pct. 4 race

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EAST COUNTY - A supporter of Ed Rinehart said he has reinstated his complaint against the wife of Precinct 4 commissioner candidate Monte Lane, alleging she struck him with a campaign sign during early voting.

Mark Seals, a lieutenant with the Precinct 4 Constable’s Office, claims Susan Lane hit him twice with a sign as they stood next to each other at the entrance of the East County Annex front parking lot Feb. 20.

This marks the second time a complaint has been filed in connection with the Precinct 4 county commissioner race, as Monte Lane filed complaints with the MCSO Feb. 1 that Ed Rinehart’s son Will allegedly threatened Lane with physical violence and intentionally shoved one of Lane’s daughters from an aisle following a candidates forum at New Caney High School.

Investigations into the two allegations have not been completed by the DA’s office.

Voters go to the polls Tuesday for the Republic primary to choose between incumbent Rinehart and challengers Lane, Clarence Quinn and Hank Murray.

Seals said the edge of the Monte Lane campaign sign first struck high on the right elbow. The second time the sign made contact, Seals said, it created a one-inch cut in his stomach area.

“She (Susan Lane) recklessly placed herself in front of me to hide the (Rinehart) sign I was holding,” Seals said.

Contacted Friday at the East County Annex, where she was serving as a poll watcher, Susan Lane said Seals’ version of the alleged assault was “completely frivolous” and “false.”

Susan Lane said Seals intentionally stood in an area where Monte Lane supporters had campaigned earlier in the week.

“We had stayed on the west side of the driveway and they (Rinehart supporters) were sitting on the east side,” she said. “He (Seals) was right in front of the chairs our daughters had been sitting on throughout the day.

“He was only there to incite trouble.”

“I had as much right to be there as anyone,” Seals said.

Capt. Rand Henderson, of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Patrol Division, said deputies collected an offense report from Seals, while Susan Lane said she provided MCSO with a statement of what happened.

The Sheriff’s Office will conduct an investigation and turn over its results to the District Attorney’s Office, Henderson said.

Seals told The Courier Thursday that he had decided early in the week to withdraw his complaint against Susan Lane. But he said he changed his mind after several other incidents allegedly took place between Monte Lane and Ed Rinehart supporters.

“I thought I could be a better man,” Seals said. “But what is right is right.”

Seals said no one asked him to withdraw or reinstate his complaint - including Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth “Rowdy” Hayden, who said he was not going to insert his office “in the middle” of the dispute.

“He’s off duty on his own time,” Hayden said. “He has the right to support whatever candidate he wants. He didn’t represent himself as a peace officer.

“If he (Seals) was a plumber, his employment wouldn’t be an issue,” Hayden said.

After he was allegedly struck by Susan Lane the first time, Seals said he advised her to stop hitting him with the sign.

“She looked at me,” which Seals took as acknowledgement that she heard him.

About a minute later, Seals said he “felt” the sign strike him around the stomach area.

“I raised my shirt and found a cut,” he said. I advised her once again not to ht me with a sign,” he said.

Susan Lane said she didn’t hit Seals with a sign.

“A gust of wind blew, the sign flew up and bumped into one of my daughters and then the signed bumped into him,” she said.

Susan Lane said she immediately turned to Seals and and patted him on a shoulder and told him she was “so sorry.”

“He didn’t look at me in the eye, but said, ‘Ma’am, I would appreciate if you wouldn’t hit me with your sign.’ I thought he was joking at first, but he was looking at her (Lane’s daughter) because the sign bumped her first,” Susan Lane said.

Seals’ version was different.

“She (Susan Lane) said, ‘What are you going to do, file charges on me?’ I stated I would and that’s when I contacted the Sheriff’s Office and filled out an offense report.”

The Courier has submitted an Open Records request with the Sheriff’s Office for a copy of the offense report.